Essence of Vajrayana. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Guide is also infinite. For this reason, one moment of Guru yoga can accumulate as much merit as is accumulated over many aeons through other practices. Furthermore, the attainment of Buddhahood, which takes aeons to accomplish through other practices, can be accomplished in one life through the practice of Guru yoga. This was demonstrated by Dromtonpa, the heart disciple of Atisha, and by Khedrubje, the heart disciple of Je Tsongkhapa.

      Geshe Potowa says:

      Whether or not our Spiritual Guide is precious

      Depends upon us and not upon our Spiritual Guide.

      If we view our Spiritual Guide as a Buddha we will receive the blessings of a Buddha, if we view him or her as a Bodhisattva we will receive the blessings of a Bodhisattva, and if we view him or her as an ordinary being we will receive nothing. Knowing this is very helpful because for as long as our mind remains impure it is impossible directly to perceive anyone, including our Spiritual Guide, as a real Buddha. Our task at the moment, therefore, is to use our imagination and the many valid reasons explained in the book Joyful Path of Good Fortune to train in the recognition that our Spiritual Guide is a living Buddha. Through continually training in this recognition, our faith will increase and our mind will become purer and purer until eventually we will directly perceive our Spiritual Guide as a real Buddha. Ghantapa saw his Spiritual Guide as Buddha Vajrayogini; Dromtonpa saw his Spiritual Guide, Atisha, as Buddha Amitabha; and Khedrubje saw his Spiritual Guide, Je Tsongkhapa, as the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri.

      THE ACTUAL PRACTICE OF GURU YOGA

      This has six parts:

      1 Visualizing the commitment beings of the Field of Merit, and inviting and absorbing the wisdom beings

      2 Offering the practice of the seven limbs

      3 Offering the mandala

      4 Receiving the blessings of the four empowerments

      5 Requesting the lineage Gurus

      6 Accomplishing spontaneous great bliss by dissolving the Guru into ourself

      VISUALIZING THE COMMITMENT BEINGS OF THE FIELD OF MERIT, AND INVITING AND ABSORBING THE WISDOM BEINGS

      This has two parts:

      1 Visualizing the commitment beings of the Field of Merit

      2 Inviting and absorbing the wisdom beings

      VISUALIZING THE COMMITMENT BEINGS OF THE FIELD OF MERIT

      This has three parts:

      1 Visualizing basis Guru Heruka

      2 Visualizing Guru Heruka of the body mandala

      3 Visualizing the other holy beings

      VISUALIZING BASIS GURU HERUKA

      In the space in front of us, level with our eyebrows, and at a distance from us of about one arm’s length, is a high, vast and precious jewelled throne. It is square in shape, and adorned with jewels such as diamonds, emeralds and lapis lazuli. Upon it are five smaller thrones, one in the centre raised higher than the others, and one in each of the four cardinal directions. The thrones are supported by two snow lions at each corner.

      On the central throne on a lotus and sun, treading on Bhairawa and Kalarati, is our root Guru, Heruka. He has a dark-blue-coloured body like a lapis mountain. He has four faces, which counter-clockwise are dark blue, green, red and yellow. He has twelve arms. His two principal hands embrace Vajravarahi and hold a vajra and bell. He has two hands holding an elephant skin, two hands holding a damaru and a khatanga, two hands holding an axe and a skullcup of blood, two hands holding a curved knife and a vajra noose, and two hands holding a three-pointed spear and a four-faced head of Brahma.

      He displays the nine moods of a Hero and wears six bone mudra-ornaments. His crown is adorned with a half-moon and a crossed vajra. He wears a long necklace of fifty human heads, the nature of wisdom, and a lower garment of a tiger skin. He stands with his right leg outstretched, in the centre of a mass of blazing fire. Vajravarahi is red in colour and adorned with five mudra-ornaments. She holds a curved knife and a skullcup, and is entwined in embrace with Heruka. This visualization of Guru Heruka is called ‘basis Guru Heruka’ because the gross and subtle parts of his body are the basis for accomplishing the supporting and supported body mandala of Guru Heruka.

      VISUALIZING GURU HERUKA OF THE BODY MANDALA

      This has two parts:

      1 Visualizing the Principal

      2 Visualizing the retinues

      VISUALIZING THE PRINCIPAL

      The gross parts of basis Guru Heruka’s body symbolize the various parts of Heruka’s mandala. His two legs forming the shape of a bow symbolize the wind mandala; the triangle at his secret place symbolizes the fire mandala; his round belly symbolizes the water mandala; his square-shaped chest symbolizes the earth mandala; his spine symbolizes Mount Meru; the thirty-two channels at his crown symbolize the lotus; and the trunk of his body, the upper and lower parts of which are equal in size, symbolizes the celestial mansion.

      In the centre of basis Guru Heruka’s body, inside his heart chakra, his actual white and red indestructible drop appears as Heruka and Vajravarahi. Both Father Heruka and Mother Vajravarahi have the same aspect as basis Guru Heruka Father and Mother.

      VISUALIZING THE RETINUES

      This has three parts:

      1 Visualizing the four Yoginis of the essence

      2 Visualizing the Heroes and Heroines of the twenty-four places

      3 Visualizing the eight Heroines of the doorways

      VISUALIZING THE FOUR YOGINIS OF THE ESSENCE

      We visualize as follows. The four channel petals in basis Guru Heruka’s heart, which are the paths for the winds of the four elements, appear as the four Yoginis. In the east is Vajradakini, who is a manifestation of Lochana, the consort of Buddha Vairochana; in the north is Vajralama, who is a manifestation of Tara, the consort of Buddha Amoghasiddhi; in the west is Khandarohi, who is a manifestation of Benzarahi, the consort of Buddha Amitabha; and in the south is Vajrarupini, who is a manifestation of Mamaki, the consort of Buddha Ratnasambhava.

      VISUALIZING THE HEROES AND HEROINES OF THE TWENTY-FOUR PLACES

      The twenty-four places of basis Guru Heruka’s body are: (1) the hairline, (2) the crown, (3) the right ear, (4) the back of the neck, (5) the left ear, (6) the point between the eyebrows, (7) the two eyes, (8) the two shoulders, (9) the two armpits, (10) the two breasts, (11) the navel, (12) the tip of the nose, (13) the mouth, (14) the throat, (15) the heart (the point midway between the two breasts), (16) the two testicles, (17) the tip of the sex organ, (18) the anus, (19) the two thighs, (20) the two calves, (21) the eight fingers and eight toes, (22) the tops of the feet, (23) the two thumbs and two big toes, and (24) the two knees. These are the nature of the twenty-four places of Heruka.

      The channels of the twenty-four places appear as the twenty-four Heroines, and the drops inside these channels appear as the twenty-four Heroes. Thus, at the place of his hairline, Puliramalaya, are Hero Khandakapala, who is the same person as Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, with Heroine Partzandi as his consort. At the place of his crown, Dzalandhara, are Hero Mahakankala, who is the same person as Bodhisattva Manjushri, and his consort Heroine Tzändriakiya. At the place of his right ear, Odiyana, are Hero Kankala, who is the same person as Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, and his consort Heroine Parbhawatiya. At the place of the back of his neck, Arbuta, are Hero Vikatadamshtri, who is the same person as Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, and his consort Heroine Mahanasa. At the place of his left ear, Godawari, are Hero Suraberi, who is the same person as Bodhisattva Vajrapani, and his consort Heroine Biramatiya. At the place of the point between his eyebrows, Rameshöri, are Hero Amitabha, who is the same person as Bodhisattva Maitreya, and his consort Heroine Karwariya. At the place of his two eyes, Dewikoti, are Hero Vajraprabha, who is the same person as Bodhisattva Akashagarbha, and his consort Heroine Lamkeshöriya. At the place of his two shoulders, Malawa, are Hero Vajradeha, who is the same person as Bodhisattva Akashakosha (Space Treasure), and his consort